Getting into Medical Writing
1:15 PM - 4:15 PM
Welcome & GIMW group presentation - 13:15 CET
Talk: What is Medical Writing? - 13:30 CET
Medical writing has become well-established as an important function in the field of clinical and scientific research and consequently, the demand for skilled medical writers has risen considerably in recent years. During this introductory session, Sarah will provide an overview of medical writing and its different categories. She will also describe where medical writers typically work, their various roles, and the skills and qualifications required.
Round table: Career options in Medical Writing - 13:50 CET
Namrata Singh, Sarah Tilly and Claire Gudex
Medical writing is a diverse and evolving field and three professionals will be discussing and sharing various aspects of medical writing based on their own personal experiences. Namrata Singh will speak about the role of a medical writer in Med Comms and project management as an essential skill for a medical writer to be able to coordinate with client and other team members (designers, web developers, editors and reviewers) while delivering multiple projects within tight timelines. Sarah Tilly will be talking about what regulatory writing is all about and why it represents an excellent career option. Claire Gudex will talk about academic writing and the opportunities available in the field. She will share her experiences about teaching academic writing to medical students and PhD students through courses and mentoring, and editing of scientific manuscripts for clinical/medical researchers and occasionally translating (e.g. clinical questionnaires, patient brochures).
Online coffee break - 14:30 CET
Talk: LinkedIn & Resume makeover - 14:40 CET
Evguenia Alechine & Jackie Johnson
Perhaps now more than ever, crafting your resume and Linkedin profile are critical for gaining work in the medical and scientific writing industry. In this session, Jackie and Evguenia will share their top tips for tailoring your resume to medical writing roles and creating a killer Linkedin profile. Topics will include selling your strengths, keyword search algorithms, applicant tracking software, quantifying your accomplishments, online presence, building rapport with industry professionals, and the power (and fun) of networking. Attendees will leave the session with valuable knowledge to build and/or strengthen their personal brand.
Round table: What recruiters are looking for? - 15:00 CET
Peter Llewellyn will lead a panel discussion with in-house recruiters from companies that work across medical writing disciplines, from medcomms to regulatory writing. What do they look for in candidates? How do they assess CVs and cover letters? What tips can they share that will help you prepare your own applications? How can you stand out from the crowd? Peter will be joined on the panel by experienced in-house recruiters, including Nicole Dexter is a Talent Acquisition Manager at McCann Health Medical Communications and Pete Griffiths is HR and Recruitment Officer at Bioscript.
Talk: How to take the leap - 15:30 CET
The decision to switch tracks from an academic to an industry career is never an easy one. During Clare's PhD, she realised that the bench was not for her and decided that Medical Writing seemed like a good option. But among the crowd of graduates making the switch, how can she convince her prospective employers that she is the one? More importantly, how can she overcome her own insecurities and convince herself that she has what it takes? During the presentation, Clare will talk about imposter syndrome, how to leverage your skills from academia for medical writing, and how to make connections to stand out in your job search.
Networking - 15:50 CET